UK DIY News

UK's small businesses lead the world in using the internet to export goods, says eBay

Britain's small businesses are leading the world in using the internet to export their goods, according to auction site eBay.

The company, whose site is used by thousands of small companies and sole traders, said UK businesses selling on eBay each export to an average of 39 countries – higher than from any other country.

Overseas sales by British sellers totalled £3.8 billion last year.

The company said the top ten markets that eBay’s UK firms exported to in the first three months of this year were Ireland, the US, France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Malta and Spain. The second biggest user of eBay for exports was Germany, but its sellers typically exported to markets closer to home such as Austria, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

China is one of the fastest-growing markets for sales from eBay’s British sellers, growing more quickly than any other market except the US.

Fashion is the biggest export category, followed by shoes and accessories and vehicle parts.

Murray Lambell, director of cross-border trade for eBay in the UK, said: ‘We’re seeing a growing trend of “micro-multinational” businesses emerging, capable of selling to a global audience, without the infrastructure of a traditional exporter.’